She wavered as her mind spun over possibilities.
Sterling tightened his grip. “Don’t you want to sacrifice everything? He’d do it for you.”
God, it’s true. Hasn’t he shown, time and again, how much he’s willing to kill for me, to die for me? “Xavier?” She took a step toward the werewolf, but Sterling kept a tight grip on her. “If I can do this one thing to ensure you’ll live a happy life, how bad can it be?” His intense eyes pleaded with her to change her mind, to be strong. “Please understand. I’m doing this for you, for Mona. You guys mean everything to me, and if I can guarantee your safety, I will.”
“There is no guarantee with men like Sterling!” Xavier shook his head and let loose a low, menacing growl. “Sophia, listen to me. We’ll figure out some other way. We can beat him, I know we can.” He tried his bonds once more. The muscles in his arms and shoulders strained under his shirt. “If I could shift—”
“Now, now, none of that.” Sterling released Sophia in order to strike Xavier on the jaw with a forceful backhand swing. “No interference from you, werewolf.”
As Xavier slumped to the floor, Sophia rushed forward, but Sterling wrapped his arms around her, staying her flight. “I want your word you’ll leave him alone.” She struggled against him, shivering from his touch. “I’ll give you my soul, and in exchange you won’t harm him further. That goes for the rest of my friends, too.” She met his fiery gaze, trapped between hot and cold worlds, and what she saw in his eyes terrified her.
He had no soul, no heart, only dark, tormented blackness that seemed to go on forever inside that terrible red glow. Would that be what waited for her as well?
“Granted.” He released her so quickly Sophia stumbled. He took a fountain pen from a pocket in his vest and handed it to her with a flourish then unrolled the scroll he’d plucked from the air. “The last thing I need from you is your signature on the dotted line, if you please.” He licked his lips, eager anticipation evident in his expression.
“Sophia, no!” Xavier’s cry hurled itself through the air as she touched the tip of the pen to the scroll. “He has nothing to gain by keeping us alive, you know this. Think, sweetheart. What he says doesn’t make sense.” A snarl followed the impassioned plea, echoing in the empty room.
“I have to try.” She scrubbed at the moisture on her cheek, willed him to understand. “I’d do anything for you, Xavier; you know this because you’d do the same for me.” Slowly, she scratched her first name. “If I don’t make it out of here, know that you made my life worthwhile.” The pen hovered above the paper as the words blurred from her tears.
“Sign your damn name.” Sterling shook the scroll. His eyes blazed hot enough to rival the flames on the candles. “Now!”
A black inkblot fell to the parchment. It stretched out into a weird pattern almost resembling her birthmark. For a second, Sophia stared. Her hand shook. Power rolled from Sterling in waves to clash with the anger unleashed by Xavier as he growled and the chains scraped across the floor.
Xavier let loose a howl of frustration or resignation, she couldn’t tell. “I’ll never leave you, Sophia, now and always, I’ll be by your side, no matter what form we’re in.”
For the space of a few heartbeats she hesitated, then, before she could change her mind, she scribbled her last name, blinking in shock at the evidence of her own stupidity or Xavier’s salvation. “Now, release me from my birthright.” Movement to her left showed Xavier in the throes of shifting. Like the last time he shifted in her presence, she couldn’t watch, but kept her gaze focused on the Portal Master, who rolled the scroll up and tucked it away into the air from whence it came. In its place came a round glass bottle that resembled a Christmas tree ornament. “What’s that?”
“A soul vessel. Now, breathe over the top, please.” He held the mouth of the bottle to her lips. “Any time, Sophia. I have other things to do this night.” A dark eyebrow lifted in emphasis.
Wetting her lips with the tip on her tongue, she put them together as if she intended to whistle, but instead of sound, she blew air across the bottle’s top. Sparkling orange vapor filled the vessel, swirling around the glass, clearly not comfortable with the new residence. When her breath expired, Sterling corked the top.
Remarkably, he threw back his head and laughed, the sound a rusty and squeaky as if tired from disuse. “Poor, trusting Sophia. Did you really think I could remove a birthright?” Tucking the bottle carefully into his pocket, he emitted the laugh again and this time it gained strength, multiplied in layers until it bounced, jarring through the courtroom in angry, ugly waves. “Only an Immortal can do such a task, but I appreciate the confidence in my ability.”
“What?” She staggered forward, clutched the judge’s bench for support as her knees wobbled. “You said if you had my soul, you’d be an Immortal, too.”
“Ah, then you didn’t pay attention. I said I’d have the power of an Immortal, I didn’t say I’d be one. There is a difference, and in your case, it’s the difference of life and death, isn’t it?” He reached slim fingers into a pocket of his vest and removed a vial of yellow liquid. “Oh, and what do I have here? Looks like the medicine you need to keep your Gargoyle half under control.”
Without her soul to provide strength or courage, Sophia slumped against the wooden piece of furniture. “Damn you, Sterling.”
“Fortunately, that has already been done, my dear.” He hurled the vial in Xavier’s direction, grinning when it smashed against the dark floor with a curl of yellow smoke. “Oh, looks like I dropped it.”
“I need that!” Invisible fingers of fear gripped her heart and squeezed. She gasped. “Oh my God, without my soul I won’t have the strength to change back into a human.”
“That’s the plan, toots.” He patted the top of her head. “And look, your boy toy is transforming, too. What a happy occasion this is.” Sterling’s grin stretched his lips tight. “Too bad he’ll be locked in this room with no chance of escape. In two hours, he’ll be stuck as an animal. You’ll be a statue. And me? I’ll be at the festival, and if all goes well, hijacking the Immortal Court. Brilliant, no?”
With a tiny sigh of defeat, Sophia swallowed the remainder of her tears. Her mouth worked, but no sound emerged. She scrabbled for purchase on the bench, knocking a wooden gavel to the floor in her quest to remain upright. She glanced at Xavier. Blond fur covered most of his body as bones cracked and popped. His head was thrown back as agony painted his face into a grotesque mask. She transferred her gaze to Sterling, annoyed when he wiggled his fingers at her.
“Enjoy your holiday, Miss Raines.” He kicked Xavier as he passed. Xavier, half transformed, snarled, but continued to writhe on the floor. “I know I will.” He slipped out the door. It slammed closed behind him with an air of finality, and the clicking of the lock rang sharp as a pistol shot.
Sophia’s limbs grew heavy as her transformation into a statue began, encasing her legs first and slowly making its way up her body. At the last second, she snatched off her glasses and let them clatter to the wooden tabletop. “I’m so sorry, Xavier.” No other words were spoken as the stone swallowed the rest of her body and cemented her to the courtroom floor.
Chapter Twenty-three
Xavier padded around the courtroom in another endless loop. His nails clicked against the tiled floor, and a near constant growl punctuated panting breaths. The shift had come upon him too late to stop Sterling. He swung around at the end of the room and his gaze zeroed in on Sophia. Sharp arrows of pain pierced his heart to see her as a statue, her Gargoyle birthright. Because of him she’d remain that way for the rest of her life, and because of her, he’d remain at her side until midnight struck and beyond.
Perhaps Fate did have a sense of humor after all, albeit a very warped one. Soul mates and lovers who would die to see each other free from their paranormal sides were now trapped in those very shells.
He lifted his head and sniffed the air. Melted paraffin. Black candle wax dripp
ed and hardened down the front of the furniture. How long had they been here? Xavier snuffled around Sophia’s stone feet. Acute sadness. At least she still lived inside the concrete. He scratched at the floor and whined. Where there was life there was hope. Circling around the statue, Xavier emitted a sharp bark and rammed his body into Sophia’s hardened legs.
Pain radiated from every nerve ending. He let loose another whine then sat down on his haunches, crossed his front legs, and laid his head on his paws. He wished he could talk to Sophia, set her mind at ease. He felt useless in his wolf form, but no matter how he wished to change back into a human, the shift wouldn’t come. At least he’d had the opportunity to tell her he loved her before the madness took over.
He growled. His feelings ran so much deeper than he allowed even himself to admit. He couldn’t live without her. She was the reason he did anything now, and if Sophia remained locked in stone, he might as well be a wolf until he drew his last breath.
Frustrated, Xavier bounded to his feet then paced. He stood, looked upon the frozen face of his beloved, and howled with all of his strength. The mournful sound reverberated about the small space, echoing off the floor until he thought his ears would bleed from the noise. He paused in order to suck in much needed oxygen then howled again, this time with more force. He wanted everyone to know of his suffering, even the heavens, if they deigned to listen.
A tiny piece of concrete fell from Sophia’s shoulder to hit him on the snout. He cocked a furry eyebrow, padded around her legs, aware of one undeniable change.
Small stress cracks ran through the thick stone and streaked through it like dark veins.
He yelped, releasing his loudest bay yet. Springing back, he growled, watching with the canine equivalent to joy as fist-sized chunks of rock fell to the ground. He woofed and ran back and forth in front of her. Chips and pieces of every size rained onto the floor with the enthusiasm of a meteor shower.
He yowled again, this time with excitement.
Several seconds later, Sophia tumbled out of the pile of rubble and collapsed onto the floor, naked, shaking, and covered in a thin film of gray concrete dust. She coughed, then blinking, turned onto her side, and stared at him. “Xavier?”
Happiness to see her in her human form caused his tail to wag exuberantly. He barked, licked her face until she pushed him away. He jumped over her to lick the other side of her face and neck, her skin soft and smooth to his tongue. He barely tasted the dust as the natural sweetness of her body came through on his palate.
“Xavier, stop it.” Sophia frowned. “I’ve told you before, your doggy breath really stinks.” She wrapped her arms around his shaggy neck and held him close. “Thanks for the enthusiastic welcome, but I’m ready to get up now.”
He whined in response which became a low pitched growl. Front paws transformed into hands that rested on the swell of her stomach, his snout shortened and whiskers vanished to smooth into his normal, human face. Xavier heaved a contented sigh as he gathered her more comfortably in his embrace, ignoring the bits of rock that dug into his side.
“I thought I’d never have the opportunity to speak with you again.” He pressed gossamer kisses to her cheeks, her closed eyelids, her lips. “Since we’ll miss the chance to lift the curse, I can think of no better way to spend my last moments as a human than in your arms.”
“What are you talking about?” Sophia pushed at his chest before capturing his face between her palms. “Why can’t you lift the curse?” Her blue eyes held him captive, sucked him down into their cool depths until he was quite content to remain there. The pinpoints of darkness that lurked around the edges gave him pause. “Surely a simple courtroom can’t contain such a determined man.”
“I’ve never wanted you more.” He crushed his mouth to hers, wishing for more time as his erection pushed insistently against her abdomen. “Sterling took the potion with him when he left. Therefore, midnight will come and go without me.”
“Oh, you mean this potion?” She opened one hand. Stuck to her palm, covered in cement dust, was the vial of dark liquid. “I snagged it before I turned into a statue. I had no idea if we’d be able to use it or even get away. Don’t you think we ought to try?” She lifted her head. When she held his gaze, none of her old sparkle remained. “I mean, I did face off with the Portal Master, and I did give him my soul, but it won’t mean anything unless you use it.”
White hot need slammed into him as she wriggled beneath him. The urge to bury himself in her slick warmth consumed him. Xavier fought it, knowing time was short, and if they were successful, a lifetime of lovemaking lay ahead of them. “There are no words I could say to describe what you mean to me.” He stood in one fluid motion, acutely aware of his state of arousal as her gaze rested on that portion of his anatomy for long moments. He offered her a hand then hoisted her to her feet.
“Remember what you feel at this exact moment, because I promise you the satisfaction you seek later.”
“All right, but I have to say, I don’t feel much of anything for you or anything right now.” She emitted a tiny squeak when he squeezed her hand with more force than he intended. “I have this huge, unexplainable emptiness inside, just here.” She pressed the hand holding the potion to her heart. “Yet deeper, like something big wants to swallow me, pull me into an endless depression.” Her gaze flew to his face. Pain and shadows clouded their depths. “Is it because my soul is gone?”
All of Xavier’s earlier joy crashed into the pit of his stomach. He shook his head in an attempt to deny or understand. Meeting her gaze, he knew it was true, and he knew he couldn’t let her continue on this way. “No!” He clenched his hands into fists, let loose an anguished howl, and rushed the door.
*****
Sophia cringed as glass broke and wood splintered. Why was Xavier so upset? Did her soul mean that much to him? Her gaze crept to the man as he threw himself against the weakening door. Memories from the past few days flitted through her mind like a movie reel on steroids, but she couldn’t summon any sort of feeling for him, no matter how hard she tried. They’d been together, she remembered tender moments and conversations, recalled the feel of his body against hers. None of those times triggered anything but cold emptiness. A churning void, a black hole, seemed to swallow her heart, with no hope, no future, just a vast bleak darkness stretching on interminably, almost as if she now approached life with a clinical detachment.
She stifled a sob, yearned for something to fill the blank gap that only the finality of death would end.
When the door gave way under Xavier’s repeated battering, Sophia sighed. His naked backside alone was worth remaining alive for. Would she ever feel pleasure again just from looking at him? A shiver wracked her body, recalling her own lack of clothing. She darted to the coat rack, grabbed a black judge’s robe, and gratefully bundled it around her form. The monotonous sound of the zipper gave her a tiny drop of comfort and the strength she needed to follow the werewolf. At the last minute, she remembered to snag her glasses then popped them on the bridge of her nose.
“Xavier.” She picked her way over the rubble. “Xavier…” She grimaced when he threw an uppercut jab to one of the guards then slammed an elbow into the guy’s midsection, felling him to the ground. “…I really think you should find some sort of clothing. The Samhain festival is not exactly nudist colony material.”
“Kinda busy here, sweetheart. Perhaps outfit planning can be your job.” He grappled with a second guard, never taking his gaze from his objective.
“Damn werewolf.” Sophia couldn’t help watching as Xavier knocked his adversary out with a spectacular punch to his chin. “He sure can fight.” She serenely stepped over the man on the floor, satisfied with the aesthetics of his quick action.
“Now listen, Xavier, I’m not taking you through the Portal in your present state. I mean, I can appreciate a good-looking man the same as the next girl—I think—since that… that,” she wriggled her fingers toward his abdominal region, not abl
e to see past the rampant portion of his very male anatomy, “belongs exclusively to me, right? So, you really need to get your butt into some clothes and cover it.”
He glanced over his shoulder. His eyes blazed an intense golden color before resuming their usual honey hue. “Your possessiveness gives me hope you remember our relationship.”
“Of course, I remember. I just don’t feel anything about it.” She doubled back into the courtroom and yanked a second robe from the coat rack. “Here, put this on. We’ve got,” Sophia glanced at her watch, “thirty minutes to get to the festival, find that tree, and lift your curse.” She threw the robe at him. “Come on.”
Winding through the darkened halls proved to be a challenge. She bumped into countless corners and the occasional table or potted plant. Sure, Xavier had wolf vision, but did he stop to help her? No. Annoying man. Only looking out for himself.
Eventually, they reached the elevator bank. She jabbed at the only button, tamping out the urge to pace.
When the doors opened, she shoved him into the car. “Cam, exit hallway please.”
“Will do, ma’am.” If he thought it odd they wore judge’s robes, his eye gave nothing away.
Sophia ignored Cam’s imposing presence, his overwhelming body odor, and his one eye in order to look at Xavier. “It’s my fault we’re in this mess and I’m sorry.” She pressed a hand to her heart, gripping folds of the robe in her fist. “I wish I lost my memory along with my soul because not being able to feel my love for you, but knowing I do is terrible.” The vague hollowness in her chest expanded until she feared she’d be sucked into it.
“Listen to me, baby.” He wrapped her into his arms, rested his chin on top of her head. “We’ll fix this, and even if we don’t, I’ll do everything I can to make you experience it again.” He laughed softly. “Except that love might be that of a girl for her dog.”
Charmed by the Werewolf Page 26
